Confrontation
by It's Always the Goats
Summary: It has been a long time since the universe has seen a persistent threat, one that is so great it cannot be defeated by any one man. And when it can, Superman is usually called to do the job, but what happens when that threat is Superman.DCMarvel Crossover


It has been a long time since the universe has seen a persistent threat, one that is so great it cannot be defeated by any one man. And when it can, Superman is usually called to do the job, but what happens when that threat, is Superman.

"Clark!"

"Yes, Perry," Clark responded, Perry White was growing more and more volatile in the days since a rival newspaper company on the east coast named The Daily Bugle had taken over as the most popular paper in the USA. Perry was scrambling now for more readers, printing almost every human interest story he could get his arthritic hands on.

"I want a story on that recent capture of Wilson Fisk."

"The Kingpin?"

"That's the only one Clark."

"When do you want it?"

"As soon as possible," Perry said with his back turned, "I already got you a plane to New York, don't screw this up Clark, or it's your head."

"Yes boss."

Clark Kent's jobs had been getting more and more complicated in the past few months. Larger jobs were being handed out to Jimmy Olsen, and when Lois Lane left the Planet to get a job on the Daily Bugle staff, Perry had nearly wound up in the hospital from a nervous breakdown.

The Planet was less in demand these days, the country's focus was turning away from Metropolis and Gotham to the East Coast, where New York was the prime center of attention. Ever since Green Lantern's disappearance Superman had double duty, attempting to defend Metropolis and Coast City from the threats that surrounded the two cities.

Clark rounded a corner and bumped into Jimmy Olsen. The now thirty something reporter looked about as old as Clark did now, with a wise facial expression and graying red hair, the veteran reporter was the top of The Planet's staff now that Lois was working for the Bugle.

"Hey Clark," Jimmy said, "What's up?"

"Nothing much, I guess I'm on the next flight to New York to cover the Kingpin story."

"They gave that story to you?" Jimmy sounded surprised, "Wow, nice job, Perry must see something in you Clark."

"I guess so."

"Anyway, I gotta run Clark. Perry's been calling me on the intercom for the past five minutes. He's gonna get even more angry if I don't show up."

"See you Jimmy."

"Bye, Clark."

New York city at night was a beautiful sight from the skyline. But from the ground it was infested with rats, criminals, and all other sorts of villainy. That was Spider-Man's job to take care of. Lois Lane took the job with the Daily Bugle knowing only of it's reputation for quality printing and that it offered her a huge salary. She knew nothing about it's libelous defamations of Spider-Man. Something she found personally offensive, but still, the money was right and as long as she was making she'd continue to write these stories, coupled with the amazing photos of photographer Peter Parker.

"LANE!"

"Yes, Mr. Jameson?"

"Why don't you go home? It's almost ten o'clock."

"Hold on, Mr. Jameson," she said, "I'm almost done working on that Spider-Man and Carnage story you wanted me to work on."

"About how the two were in league to take over our building?"

"Yes Mr. Jameson," Lois said with the same resignation that Jameson enjoyed, "that one."

"Good, if that doesn't take down Spider-Man, I don't know what will."

"Neither do I, Mr. Jameson."

Jameson let out a laugh that seemed as if he was expecting triumph. Which he probably was, he seemed to have a knack for thinking too highly of his stories, which only some of New York believed.

"Well, just make sure you lock the place up when you leave, Lane. I'm going home."

"Ok, Mr. Jameson."

"Goodnight, Lane."

"Goodnight, Mr. Jameson."

A black ooze slithered in and out of the Daily Bugle's pipes. Moving silently throughout the maze of complex insulation and vent shafts. Through plumbing and excess electrical work. It moved throughout the buildings floors, silently squirming under the desks of the nearly abandoned offices.

The slime knew it needed life, it was dying, if it couldn't find any life here, there was a good chance that it would die. And soon. It's other hosts had proved unsuitable, their wills too weak, or their bodies not strong enough to support it.

As it made its way down an air shaft it spotted the first human, a woman, middle aged, not strong, that was obvious, but it would do until a more suitable host could be found. It crept its way under chairs and desks, as it slid up the back of the chair the human moved a bit, as if sensing it's presence, but that couldn't be, it was too good for that. She silently settled back into her writing, typing fast and pounding on the keyboard as if frustrated. The symbiote reared back, and slid over the woman's body, her screams were drowned out by the black mass, and the symbiosis began.

Metropolis National Airport was in the middle of serious remodeling, after nearly half of the building was demolished in a fight between Dr. Doom and Green Lantern almost two years ago. It was back at full functionality again, but the building was in disrepair. Clark Kent nearly slipped on freshly waxed tiled floors, and almost was clipped by a man pushing a large trolley of carts. Naturally, it wouldn't have hurt him, but it was still an undesirable scenario for the carts.

Clark purchased his ticket, and boarded his plane, a 2:30 flight to New York City. Home of the Daily Bugle, Lois Lane, and one of his biggest rival, Spider-Man.

It was almost eleven o'clock in the morning, and still Lois Lane had not showed up for work. Jameson sipped his third coffee of the morning and wondered nervously where she was, security had shown that noone entered or left the building after he had left all night, and the tape on the floor of Lois' office was blank, it seemed that the camera hadn't even been turned on at all that day.

"PARKER! GET IN HERE!"

Peter Parker was dressed in denim jeans and a white t-shirt, he wore a brown leather jacket with a camera slung over his shoulder.

"You wanted to see me, JJ?"

" You look very professional," Jameson said with every hint of sarcasm possible in his voice, the cigar dangling out of his mouth, "I need photos of the opening of that new bar down on 3rd Street."

"_Warriors_?"

"Yea, that one. It's throwing a huge celebration in light of the fact that this is it's first east coast location. The owner, Guy Gardner is going to be there, and I want pictures."

"You got it, JJ."

"Good," Jameson said as peter was leaving the office, "AND DON'T CALL ME JJ!"

Warriors was a large, decadent bar, with a statues memorializing all the famous Green Lantern's of Earth, Sector 2814. Guy Gardner, was a red haired, and bowl cut sporting socialite who was also the number one in the Green Lantern Honor Guard out of all 7200 Green Lanterns out there. In Coast City he was practically a god among men and was always willing to chat with anyone who came into Warriors. He could be frequently spotted behind the bar.

Peter Parker had spotted him several times during the night, socializing with many of the people at the opening. Not only the rich and famous, he was seen talking to several of the working class men and women who came too. When he was finally free, Peter approached Guy and introduced himself, the two of them joked around, and Peter took a photo of himself with

Gardner. The fun was cut short however when a familiar, yet unfamiliar face crashed the lively party.

A sleek and slender form crashed through the window, it bore a sinister smile and a black costume, with a familiar large white spider across it. The Venom symbiote had found it's new host. But who it was, was a mystery.

It had a feminine form, but the strength of Spider-Man, knocking helpless people back against the walls, and throwing them out of the windows. Peter Parker disappeared into the bathroom, leaving his backpack stuffed with his clothes behind, and disappearing out the window. He leapt across the roof and landed behind the window, and positioned himself behind Venom's new host. He prepared to leap when the body came flying back out the window, shot backwards, but by what he couldn't see.

Peter threw the unconscious body off of him. It slid helplessly to the cold pavement. Peter groggily stood up and looked inside the bar, Guy Gardner hovered a few feet above the ground. He was now adorned in his signature Green Lantern costume, his power ring extended and glowing.

"Got here a little late didn't you Spidey?"

"Dammit, Parker! Green Lantern, a real hero, here in New York City and you don't have any pictures. What the hell am I paying you for?"

"I got the pictures you asked for Mr. Jameson, I was a little bit busy."

"Yea, sure, I heard that Spider-Man was there too, he was in league with that new Venom, but he chickened out when he say that Green Lantern was there, haha, good old GL. He always gets the job done."

"Sure, Mr. Jameson."

"Now, I want you to go to the Baxter Building, Reed Richards is going to use the sonic generator today to separate the symbiote from it's host. Then we'll see who it really is behind all this."

The Baxter Building stood high in Manhattan. With it's large, imposing silhouette it was a famous landmark to all peoples visiting Manhattan. Simply that it's top five floors house the world's premier super team, The Fantastic Four.

Peter Parker was among one of hundreds of reporters from across the country that was there to witness the event. Parker noticed others, like The Daily Planet's Clark Kent, who he had met before, while others he wasn't so familiar with, like television reporter for Gotham City, Jack Ryder.

Reed Richards stepped up to stand on a large platform mounted ten feet in the air, it pointed into a large clear cylinder, with the Venom symbiote and its host inside.

"Ladies and gentlement," Reed said, "I will need complete silence for this, we need to make sure that the sonic waves are not interfered with at all. Johnny, if you would please dim the lights."

The lights flicked off, and Reed hit the switch on the giant control panel. The ray gun fired up, unleashing an invisible wave of sonic energy. With a primal scream of pain, the symbiote and it's host tore apart. When the symbiote was finally contained in a separate chamber, Lois Lane lay on the crystalline floor of the tube.


End file.
